Rotary engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. BERRENBERG.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 371,662. Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

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.0 g a Z fig 2 (No Model.) v 2 Shets-Sheet 2. W. BERRENBERG.

ROTARY ENGINE. N0.-371,662. Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

ATTOHIVEY UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM BEBRENBEBG, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIPTCATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,662,6lated October 18,1887.

Application filed January 17, 1887. Serial No. 224.527. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BERRENBERG, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved rotary engine which is provided with levers for reversing the same and cutting off the steam at any desired part of the revolution.

The invention consists of the construction and combination of parts and details, all as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a cross-sectional view of my improved rotary engine on the line w m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an inside face view of one of the end plates of the engine. Fig. 4 is a face view of the outside of the said plate, part being in section. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a double engine of my improved construction.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

On the shaft Ais rigidly mounted the cylindrical piston B, the ends of which rest snugly against the end plates, 0 and D, on the casing E. The piston B is provided with a longitudinal semicircular groove, B, for receiving one-half of a cylindrical piece, F, the rim of which rests snugly against the curved inside of the bottom part, E, of the casing.

Above the cylindrical piston B the hollow feed-cylinder G is mounted, which is provided with a longitudinal semicircular groove, G, adapted to receive that part of the cylinder F projecting from the rim of the cylindrical piston B. The feed-cylinder G has a tubular shaft, H, which is suitably journaled in the end piece D of the casing, said shaft carrying a cog-wheel, I, engaging with a cog-wheel. 1, on the main shaft A. The cog-wheels I I are located in the casing J, fastened on the end plate D of the casing J, which casing J contains one journal for the shaft A, the other journal being formed in the end plate 0. The top part, E, of the casing is shaped so that the greater part of thefeed-cylineler G fits snugly in the same.

The steam-inlet channel K is formed in the top of the casing E, and serves for conducting steam into the casing J, from which it passes into the tubular shaft H and into the hollow feedcylinder G, which isprovided at the end opposite the one having the tubnlar shaft H with a segmental slot, L, that end of the hollow feed-cylinder having the slot L resting against the inner surface of the end plate 0 of the casing. In the inner face of said end piece 0 a circular groove, M, is formed, the center of which is in line with the center of the cylinder G and slot L, so that as the cylinderGrevolves the said segmental slot L will be in communication with a circular recess or groove, M.

From said groove M two channels, N and N, extend downward to the annular space 0, formed between the side part, E, of the easing and the outer rim surface of the cylindrical piston B, the apertures Pand P being formed at the lower end of thechannels N and N, said apertures establishing communication between the channels-N and N, and the annular part 0 between the casing and the tubular piston. A segmental block or valve, Q, is mounted to slide circularly in the circular groove M, and is of such size that when the upper end of one of the channels N or N is closed entirely the other is entirely opened. Vithin the said recess M,and concentrical to the same, a hub, B, is mounted to turn, which is provided with a lug, R, extending to the outer rim of the said circular recess. Said hub B is provided with the shaft S, passed through a tubular shaft,T, with which theinner end of the tubular block Q is connected. The tubular shaft T has a handle, T, and the shaft S has a handle, S. The tubular shaft T passes through a stuffingbox, U, of an exhaust-steam chest, U, fastened to the outside of the end plate 0, said exhauststeam chest having the outlet-pipe U". The tubular shaft T has an arm, a, connected by a link, b,-with one end of a valve-plate, d, pivoted at e on the outer face of the end plate 0, and within the chest U in such a manner that when one end of the valve-plate cl is above one of the apertures P or P the other end closes the other aperture, and vice versa. The apertures P P establish communication between the annular space 0 and the chest U.

The operation is as follows: As shown in Fig. 3, the steam that passes from the hollow cylinder H to the slot L into the circular re cess M cannot pass through the channel N, which is-closed by the block or valve Q, but passes through the channel N and rotates the cylindrical piston B in the direction of the arrow at, Fig. 3, which corresponds with the arrow (1*, Fig. 1. To reverse the engine, the shaft T is turned by means of its handle T in such a manner as to shift the block or valve Q to open the channel N and close the channel N. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3that is, when the channel N is closed and the channelN open-the aperture 1? at the lower end of the channel N is closed by the valve-plate d, as shown in Fig. 3, and the aperture P at the lower end of the channel N is opened, as shown in Fig. 4, thus permitting the exhaust-steam to pass into the chest U and from the same out into the pipe U When the shaft T is turned to change the position of the block Q,the valve-plate d is also shifted, as it is connected with an arm of the shaft T, and thereby the opening P opened, so as to permit the exhaust steam to pass out through the opening P. It is evident that the steam passes from the hollow cylinder G through the slot L into the circular recess M, except when the slot L passes over that portion of the groove M closed by the block Q. If it is desired to cut off the steam, the communication between the circular groove or recess M and that channel N or N which is'not closed must be interrupted before the slot L is closed by the block Q. This is accomplished by the lug R of the hub R. For example, if the steam is to be cut off after twothirds of the revolution has been completed, the shaft S is turned by means of its handle S into such a position that the slot L will arrive at the lug B after two-thirds of the revolution has been accomplished. The rest of the revolution is made under the expansion of steam. As shown in Fig. 3, the lug R is a short distance above one end of the valve Q. If the steam is to be cut off sooner, the lug R must be turned to the left, Fig. 3, and toward the upper end of the channel N. I am thus enabled to reverse the engine by simply throwing over the handle T and to adjust the cutoff by means of the handle S.

In Fig. 5 I have shown an engine containing two cylindrical pistons and one'hollow steam-feeding cylinder G, all the parts operating in the manner set forth.- I

Havingthus described myinventioml claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In arotary engine, the combination,with a casing, of a tubular piston and a cylinder above the piston, which cylinder has a longitudinal bore through which the steam must pass longitudinally before entering the space between the cylinder and the cylindrical piston, substantially as shown and described.

2. In arotary engine, the combination, with a casing having steam-channels in one end plate, of a tubular piston mounted to revolve in the casing, and a hollow cylinder above the piston, through which cylinder the steam passes to the above-mentioned channels in the end plate, substantially as shown and described.

3. In arotary engine, the combination, with acasing having a cylindrical recess and two the steam into the above-mentioned circular recess in the end plate, substantially as shown and described. l

4.. In a rotary engine, the combination, wlth a casing having a circular recess and two steamconducting channels connected with the same in one end plate,ofasegmental block'or valve mounted to slide in said circular recess and close either of the channels, ashaft for adjusting said valve or block, a cylindrical piston, and a hollow cylinder,the centerof which hollow cylinder coincides with the center of the above-mentioned circular recess, substantially as shown and described.

5. Ina rotary engine, the combinatiomwith a casing having a circular recess and steamconducting channels connected with the same in one end plate, of asegmental block or valve mounted to slide in said recess, a hub provided with a. lug, which hub is mounted to turn in said recess,a shaft for turning the segmental block in the hub, a cylindrical piston in the casing, and a hollow cylinder in the casing, the center of which cylinder is in line with the center of the circular recess, and which cylinder is provided in the end adjacent to the said circular groove with a segmental slot, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a rotary engine. the combinatio.n,with a casing having a circular recess,two channels in communication with thesame and apertures in the ends of the channels in one end piece,

of a segmental sliding block or valve in said.

circular recess, a valve-plate pivoted on the outer face of the end plate and connected bya link with the shaft of said circular block or valve, a cylindrical piston in the casing, and

a hollow steam-conducting cylinder above the steamconducting piston, substantially as shown and described.

- 7. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the casing E, having the circular groove M, the channels N and N',and the apertures P and P, of a sliding segmental block or valve Q, having a shaft, a casing, J, the shaft A, the cylindrical piston B on the shaft A, the hollow cylinder G, having the slot in one end and the tubular shaft H at the other end, and the cog-wheels I I, mounted on the shafts H and A, respectively, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM BERRENBERG. 

